Meet Merrily Kutner, Author of Z is for Zombie, Down and the Farm and other stories

What inspired you to become a children's author?I never thought I would ever become a writer. Who me? The one who hated writing compositions in school? Back then, writing felt like a chore! I started writing picture books quite by accident, after I couldn't find a book for my son. At seven years old, he was definitely a reluctant reader. I spent a lot of time in the library trying to find books for him that would hold his attention. One day, I became frustrated because I knew he liked monsters and rhymes but I couldn't find any book like that in the library. The librarian said she wasn’t aware that there were any books with monsters and rhymes combined. I kept looking at so many books till I thought to myself (half kidding and half serious) “Hey, I can do better than these!” What an epiphany! I suppose that must have stirred something deep inside me. Or, maybe because I loved my son so much, I became inspired to write a book with monsters and rhymes just for him. Whatever the reason, after I began making up stories, I was hooked! I did like to write...when it was something I felt passionate about. I believe in that saying we’ve all heard, “Write what you're passionate about.” So, how did I become a writer? I believe that day writing chose me.

How long did it take you to write your book, Down on the Farm?Writing Down on the Farm was so quick (less than a month) and easy it felt like it almost wrote itself. My daughter loved to walk around the house saying all kinds of animal sounds. Nay, nay, nay and quack, quack, quack etc. One day, while reading a book to her about farm animals (we read a lot of books about farms and animals), I got the idea for the book from reading this sentence, “…and down on the farm you find all kinds of animals.” As soon as I read that a sing song refrain popped in my head…down on the farm, down on the farm. I made a list of animals found on a farm and then used my rhyming dictionary to find words that rhymed with the animals noises they made and then filled in the rest. I even sold the book in 10 months which is amazingly fast. It was “plucked” out of the slush pile. When I told the illustrator how easy it was he said that it was my “gift book.” Apparently, he’s heard similar stories from other authors. Most books aren’t that easy to write or sell.

How many books have you written?I’ve written many books (over 30) but only 3 have been published so far, with a 4th scheduled to be published. The titles are: Z is For Zombie, Down on the Farm, The Zombie Nite Café, and Alphabet Magic which is forthcoming from Neal Porter Books.

How long was the process of getting your first book published?After ten years of persistent writing, learning my craft, and three different "incarnations," my manuscript with monsters and rhymes eventually became my first book entitled Z is For Zombie. The book was selected as an IRA/CBC Children's Choice Book for the year 2000 list. That validation from the children motivated me to continue writing. By the time it was published, the little boy who I wrote it for had already grown and was now seventeen years old. That little boy is now only in my mind's eye and in our home movies. But, the book is out there for all those little Jonathans who love monsters and rhymes. To this day, that little boy is still the one I write for. Z is For Zombie is now available in paperback and forthcoming as an ebook.

Do you have a favorite topic to write about?I’m a big sci-fi fan so I like to write about monsters and in rhyme. To date, my published works are all in rhyme. I mostly write fiction but I will write non-fiction if the idea interests me. Many times I don’t know what I’ll write about next. Ideas are everywhere…and I could hear or read something or see a movie and then…BAM! It’s like an idea is whispered to me by the muse. One minute it’s not there and then it is…it’s amazing and exciting. I feel like the story chose me…it trusted me to be the right one to write it. I know that sounds crazy but it’s how I feel. Usually, I work on a few picture books simultaneously rather than one book at a time. So, I can put a book aside and let it "cool" for a while. When I come back to it, it's almost like looking at it with new eyes. Then I say to myself, “Boy, do I need to revise! Why didn’t I see that before?

What do you hope children will learn from your books? I hope that kids will realize after reading my books that reading can be fun not a chore. There are many fun books out there so, for me, the most important thing kids can learn from my books is the desire to read and want to learn more.

Children's authors don't always get to choose who illustrates their books. Are you happy with how your illustrations turned out? Are the characters as you imagined them?For my first book Z IS FOR ZOMBIE: I was very fortunate. I had an editor who allowed me to go page by page and explain what I had envisioned in my head. She then passed it on to my illustrator, John Manders. For many of the pictures he had taken what I had said and went further and they were even better than I had hoped they would be. Although, with some of the others there were issues. And, when I explained the inaccuracies (of the monsters), the illustrations were reworked. For the most part the illustrations turned out close to what I thought they could be. And, I think, the illustrations were the reason that the book won an IRA/CBC Children’s Choice award. It was also selected for the 2010 Read on Wisconsin! Book Program.

For my book DOWN ON THE FARM: I knew my book was in good hands with Will Hillenbrand. He sent me a piece of sample art (showing the style the book would be illustrated) and I thought it was adorable. The rest of the illustrations were even better than I could have imagined because Will added the little mouse and the goat’s shenanigans. The book went on to win a Please Touch Museum Book award and it is forthcoming this spring as an ebook in the app from LeVar Burton’s Company RRKidz.

For my book THE ZOMBIE NITE CAFÉ: Although I had envisioned this book in a similar style as my first book (with very dramatic somewhat scary illustrations), the editor and/or the art director had made a decision to have this book illustrated in a less “scary” younger style. It turned out very different than I had imagined. It won a Moonbeam Children’s Picture Book of the Year 2007 Award (Holiday Category)

Are you working on any other books?Yes. I’m working on what I hope will be a picture book series about a dragon (non-rhyme). And, I finished 2 manuscripts with holiday themes in rhyme (one was a collaboration). And, I’m working on and juggling a few other picture books (one is non-fiction) at the same time. And, that’s how I like it.